Cardiac Rehabilitation

What is cardiac rehabilitation?

Cardiac rehabilitation is a doctor-supervised program for people who have either congenital or acquired heart disease. Program participants may or may not have had a heart attack or heart surgery (or other heart procedures). Cardiac rehabilitation can often improve functional capacity, reduce symptoms, and create a sense of well-being for patients. A doctor may prescribe cardiac rehabilitation for a patient in certain situations.

What conditions may benefit from cardiac rehabilitation?

Conditions or cardiac procedures that may necessitate cardiac rehabilitation may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Angina pectoris

Myocardial infarction (heart attack)

Post-open heart surgery

Post-heart transplantation

Balloon angioplasty

Stent placement

Pacemaker

Congenital heart disease

Arrhythmias

Rheumatic heart disease

Heart failure

The cardiac rehabilitation team

Cardiac rehabilitation programs can be conducted while a person is a hospital inpatient or on an outpatient basis. Many skilled professionals are part of the cardiac rehabilitation team, including any or all of the following:

Cardiologist / cardiovascular surgeon

Physiatrist

Internist

Other specialty doctors

Rehabilitation specialists

Registered dietitian and nutritionist

Physical therapist

Occupational therapist

Speech / language therapist

Psychologist / psychiatrist

Recreational therapist

Chaplain

Vocational therapist

The cardiac rehabilitation program

A cardiac rehabilitation program is designed to meet the needs of the individual patient, depending on the specific heart problem or disease, and should be supervised by a cardiac doctor and a team of cardiac professionals. The program's length may range from six weeks to a year or longer and will depend on your specific needs.

The goal of cardiac rehabilitation is to help patients reverse their symptoms and maximize cardiac function. Cardiac rehabilitation includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

Establishing a progressive exercise program to build fitness and functional capacity

Providing educational classes to help adjust to or change the patient's lifestyle and habits, such as: